The sun is brighter, the grass is greener, spring has sprung, and St Patrick’s Day is nearly here. While the holiday honoring Irish culture occurs on March 17, SHU students celebrate all throughout the month of March.
“Over spring break, I marched in my local parade with my parents and our whole extended family,” said sophomore Blake Mattesitch. “St Paddy’s is really important for me and staying connected to the Irish half of my family, my Mom’s side. Sometimes it can feel like you lose connection to where your ancestors came from, especially if you don’t think about them throughout the rest of the year.”
Heritage and familial ties are an important part of the holiday. “Every year on the 17th, my older cousins and uncles all meet up and go on a bar crawl,” said sophomore Nicholas Bosticco. “It’s really important for them, my Uncle Tom even flies in from Buffalo to join them.”
Participation isn’t limited to the Irish, St Patrick’s Day is enjoyed by most everyone in the country.
Steven Senne, AP News
“I’m not Irish myself, but I am a Catholic, and I always take part in the celebrations in honor of Saint Patrick,” said sophomore Andrew Bis. “He brought the word of Jesus to Ireland, I think he’s a pretty cool historical figure.”
The holiday’s celebrations also have a heavy influence on college culture.
“I’m also not Irish, I’m Guatemalan, but I have so much fun with St. Paddy’s every year,” said sophomore Alek Rencurrel. “Last year, the boys and I went over to Fairfield University for the annual campus day party.”
The holiday comes with a dress code.
“You have to dress in green on St. Paddy’s. I don’t make the rules,” said Mattesitch. “If you don’t, it’s just lame. It’s in the spirit to celebrate the emerald isle, so put your shamrocks on and start shouting 26+6=1.”
The festivities would be incomplete without a proper soundtrack.
“Obviously you need to play ‘I’m Shipping Up to Boston’ by Dropkick Murphys,” said Rencurrel. “But you need to throw in lots of real Irish music. Not just your standard party fare with that one song once an hour. Throw in the Pogues, Thin Lizzy with ‘The Boys Are Back In Town’, some early Van Morrison, and some Cranberries songs”.
“I’m a big Kneecap fan,” said sophomore Matthew Butt. “I know no one is gonna play their songs this weekend, but they have great lyrics about the famine and the troubles, all performed in Gaelic.”
“I’m proudly Irish and proud to represent a country that has resisted oppression and has acted in solidarity with oppressed people around the world. That to me is the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day,” said senior Liam Conway.
